Ugh! Who on earth is knocking this early?!” Ethan groaned, pulling the blanket over his head. His eyes remained firmly shut as if ignoring the sound would make it disappear. But no luck—his mom’s voice pierced through the door.

“Ethan! Open this door and get yourself ready for breakfast!” she called, her tone a mix of cheer and authority. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us!”

Ethan grumbled, half-mumbling, “Okay, Mom, I heard you.” He still didn’t move, though. Instead, he buried his face into his pillow, silently wishing it were still last night.

Satisfied—or at least pretending to be—his mom moved down the hall to wake up Ethan’s younger sister. She knocked lightly and peeked in. “Olivia, time to wake up!”

To her surprise, Olivia was already sitting on her bed, brushing her hair. “Morning, Mom! I remembered what you said yesterday. We’ve got a busy day, so I’m up early!”

Ethan’s mom beamed. “Well, at least one of my children listens! Unlike your brother and your dad.”

The mention of his name made their dad, sitting outside on the porch with his coffee, holler back into the house. “Hey, I’m up, thank you very much! Just enjoying a little peace and quiet before chaos strikes!”

“Uh-huh,” she teased back. “Why don’t you share some of that energy with sleepyhead Ethan?”

Meanwhile, Ethan lay sprawled on his bed, muttering under his breath, “Why is everyone so loud? It’s not even Christmas yet!”

And so, the house began to buzz with its usual pre-holiday antics.

“Okay, everyone, come to the dining table! Breakfast is ready!” Mom’s voice carried through the house like an alarm clock that nobody could snooze.

Dad and Olivia were already at the table, their plates ready for action. The only one missing? Ethan, of course. The family bowed their heads for prayer, and Mom ended it with an enthusiastic, “AMEN!” loud enough to wake the neighbors—or in this case, Ethan.

He stumbled into the dining room, rubbing his eyes dramatically. “Oh, breakfast is ready? Why didn’t anyone bother to wake me up?” he whined, conveniently forgetting the three times Mom tried earlier.

The family didn’t even glance up. They were too busy digging into their plates of golden waffles drizzled with butter and maple syrup, perfectly paired with fried eggs and sausages. Olivia might have even snuck a strawberry or two straight from the topping bowl.

Ethan didn’t wait for an invitation. He grabbed a plate and piled it high, grumbling under his breath. “You guys always start without me. Typical.”

As the food disappeared and Ethan stopped pretending to be annoyed, Mom kicked off the conversation. “So, what’s the plan for Christmas this year? Last year was, let’s face it, a disaster. We need to get organized today so it doesn’t happen again.”

Ethan, still mid-bite, leaned back in his chair. “How about… after breakfast, we all go take a nap? Recharge before the chaos. Just throwing it out there.”

Dad raised his coffee mug in agreement. “I like the sound of that. I’ve been working non-stop. A little holiday hibernation doesn’t sound too bad.”

Mom rolled her eyes so hard, they almost fell out of her head. “You men are hopeless. QUIET!” she barked before turning to Olivia with a much softer tone. “What do you think, my darling daughter?”

Olivia put her fork down and smiled. “Well, like normal families, after breakfast, we could decorate the house. Then, around noon, we can go shopping and maybe camp out in the living room later. We can roast beef and watch a Christmas movie together!”

Mom beamed. “That’s my brilliant girl! Unlike these professional nappers over here.” She waved toward Ethan and Dad with a dramatic flourish. “Alright, everyone, let’s get moving. Time to grab the Christmas tree, lights, candles, and all the decorations from the store!”

Energized by Olivia’s plan (or maybe the waffles), everyone pitched in. The house soon transformed into a festive wonderland with twinkling lights, garlands, and a perfectly decorated Christmas tree. By the time the last ornament was hung, they stood back to admire their work.

“Okay, shower time!” Mom declared. “Then we’re off for some shopping!”

Ethan stretched, already plotting his next nap, while Olivia twirled under the fairy lights, dreaming about the magical day ahead. Christmas was shaping up to be one for the books—or at least not the disaster it was last year.

After a whirlwind of getting ready, everyone finally piled into the car. Dad took the wheel, humming a cheerful tune, while the rest of the family chatted away.

“So,” Mom began, “what exactly are we shopping for today?”

“Simple,” Dad replied. “Everyone picks out a gift for someone else in the family.”

Olivia immediately piped up, “But I don’t have any money!”

Dad chuckled, glancing at her through the rearview mirror. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Just tell me how much you need.”

Ethan, slouched in the backseat, saw his chance. “What about me? Do I get a free pass too?”

Without missing a beat, Dad smirked. “You? Aren’t you a big boy now? Shouldn’t you be making your own bucks?”

Before Ethan could fire back, Mom jumped in to save the day. “Let’s not ruin the mood, okay? I’ll give you the money, Ethan. Just keep the peace.”

Ethan muttered a quick, “Thanks, Mom,” and the car filled with a warm buzz as they drove to Westfield Mall.

When they arrived, everyone grabbed a shopping basket and dispersed, hunting for gifts and last-minute holiday essentials. Ethan wandered the aisles, half-heartedly scanning shelves, when suddenly he froze.

“Oh no… it’s her,” he thought, his stomach doing backflips.

There she was—Bella. The Bella. The girl from school he had been secretly crushing on for months. She was effortlessly stunning, her long hair framing a face that could stop traffic. She was rich, popular, and, in Ethan’s eyes, completely out of his league.

For a moment, he debated turning around and hiding behind a rack of sweaters. But something inside him—perhaps the Christmas spirit or sheer desperation—pushed him forward.

“Hi, Bella,” he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.

She turned around, her perfectly arched brows furrowing in confusion. “Hi… do I know you?”

Ethan panicked. “Uh… maybe? No? Actually, yes.” He awkwardly pulled off his baseball cap, revealing his face.

Bella’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh, Ethan! I didn’t recognize you at first. Sorry about that. What are you doing here?”

Ethan blinked, surprised by her friendliness. “Just shopping for, uh, Christmas stuff. What about you? Are you here alone?”

She shrugged casually. “Kind of. My driver’s waiting outside in the car. I told him I didn’t need an escort.”

“Of course, you didn’t,” Ethan thought. “You’re too cool for that.”

Out loud, he asked, “What about… you know, your boyfriend? The one you’re always with at school?”

Bella’s face darkened slightly. “Oh, him? That’s ancient history. We haven’t really been on the same page since school closed for the holidays.”

Ethan immediately regretted bringing it up. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to… you know, pry or anything.”

Bella surprised him by laughing. “It’s fine! Anyway, enough about that. What else are you shopping for?”

“Uh… um…” Ethan stumbled over his words, feeling the sweat start to drip down his neck.

Bella tilted her head, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Ethan, are you okay? You’re sweating like crazy. Are you sick?”

“No! I mean, maybe? I’m just… tired,” he stammered.

She narrowed her eyes, clearly enjoying his discomfort. “Tired, huh? Or is it something else?” She leaned in slightly. “Don’t tell me… do you have a crush on me?”

Ethan’s jaw practically hit the floor. “Wha—what?!” he sputtered, his face turning a shade of red that could rival Santa’s suit.

Bella laughed again, this time with genuine amusement. “Relax, I’m just messing with you… or am I?” She winked, leaving Ethan completely flustered.

Before he could respond, she gestured toward the mall café. “How about we grab that coffee you mentioned earlier? You can tell me all about these ‘Christmas stuffs’ you’re shopping for.”

And just like that, Ethan found himself walking beside Bella, wondering if Christmas miracles might actually be real after all.